Cover-support



E. T. DUNN.

COVER SUPPORT, APPLICATION men SEPT. 5. 1919.

Paflanted Feb. 8, '1921.

EDWARD T. DUNN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

- COVER-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Application filed September 5, 1919. Serial No. 321,777.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EDWARD T. DUNN, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful lmproveinents in Cover-Sup ports, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a. device for use in conjunction. with trunks or chests, so that when the cover is raised it may be held in raised position. The device is so constructed and attached to the cover of the trunk or chest that the cover may be raised by hand and latched or held in the raised position without the necessity for having to manipulate the device directly by hand. Likewise when the cover is to be lowered after having once been raised, this operation may be performed also without having to operate the device directly by hand.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple in construction, durable and effective in operation and inexpensive to 'manufacture.

Other and further objects appear in the following description, wherein the invention is set forth in detail.

To the exact construction in which it is shown and described the invention is not to be restricted. The right is reserved to make such. changes or alterations as the actual reduction to practice may suggest, in so far as such changes or alterations are compatible in spirit with the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing the practical application of the device.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the support As illustrated, the invention is designed for the purpose of providing a device which will maintain the cover or lid, such as that illustrated at 1, in raised position when it is elevated for the purpose of obtaining access to the trunk or chest, such as that illustrated at 2.

The support is made preferably of flat stock and consists of a shank 3 which is oil'- set at one end to provide an car at in which there is formed an eye or hole 5 through which an appropriate rivet or screw may be passed to swingingly attach thesupport to the cover or lid 1, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. The shank 3 at the end remote from the ear 4; terminates in a. body portion 7 which is of relatively great width as compared with the width of the shank. The body portion 7 as clearly shown in the figures has the shape of an arrow head the nose portion of which connects with the shank 3 and the stock from the center of the body portion is punched out to form an opening substantially the shape of the body portion itself. A plate 8 conforming to the shape of the body portion is set in the space from which the stock is punched out and this plate is held in place on the body portion by a supporting strip 9 which is riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the plate and to the body portion 7 adjacent its longitudinal edges. The plate 8 is so dimensioned that space is provided between its edges and the adjacent edges of the body portion, thus defining a series of connecting slots around the body portion and the strip 9 where it spans these slots is bent into a U- shape, as indicated at 10, so that a pin riding in the slots provided in the body portion may pass the attaching strip '9 without interference.

The shank 3 beginning at a point adjacent the ofi'set portion which provides the ear 4 is slotted in the direction of its length to provide a slot 11 which communicates with the slot 12- defined on one side of the body portion by the plate S and the body portion 6. This slot 12 extends to the rear of the body portion on one side and communicates with the forwardly directed but inclined slot 13 which in turn communicates with a similar but oppositely disposed slot 14, this slot 14 communicating with the slot 15 similarly to the slot 12 but oppositely disposed with respectto the latter and positioned on the opposite side of the body portion. The slot 15, as does the slot 12 communicates with the slot 11 in the shank 3.

On the same side of the support as the strip 9. and pivotally attached to the body portion, there is a pawl 16 which may swing over the slot 15 where the latter communicates with the slot 12 and when this pawl is in such a position, a pin passing down the slot 11 must perforce pass into the slot 12, as the pawl precludes its entering the slot 15, which it might do were the pawl not present. A stop 17 is secured on the plate 8 and engaged by this pawl to limit it to this position just referred to. The pawl is designed, however, to swing back to allow the pin traveling in the slot 15 to enter the slot 11, this pawl having an inclined edge which the pin engages in passing from the slot 15 tothe slot 11. To limit the distance to which the pawl 16 may swing back, an ear or stop 18 is upstruck on the body portion for engagement with the pawl to limit it to the position just referred to.

Attached on the body portion of the trunk or chest 2 there is a plate 19 whichis secured in position on the trunk or chest by means of suitable screws or rivets as shown. This plate carries a headed stud 20, the shank of which plays in the slots of the support whenthe lid 1 to which the support is attached is raised or lowered.

In Fig. 1 the device is shown attached to a trunk or chest in the manner in which it is desired to be used and the view is taken as if theobserver were standing in the chest and looking toward that end on which the device is attached. The support is mounted so that the pawl and its attendant parts and the strip 9 are onthat side facing the observer and the pawl is on the upper edge of the device. The pawl, therefore, by the force of gravity lies against the stop 17 and thus closes the slot 15 where it communicates with the slot 12. When the cover is closed the support hangs down in the trunk and the stud 20 is at the upper end of the slot 11. As the cover is raised the support moves with reference to the stud and the latter therefore passes down the slot 11 to the point where the latter communicates with the slot 12. lVere the pawl not present, the support would drop by gravity and the stud would pass into the slot 15, but the pawl assures the direction of the stud into the slot 12 through which it travels, as the raising of the cover is continued. until it reaches the lower end of the slot 12. As the raising pressure is released, the force of gravity causes the stud to enter the slot 13 up through which it passes until it engages in the crotch in the lower end of the plate 8, when further downward movement of the cover is precluded. The cover is thus re tained in raised position. Desiring to close the cover it is raised slightly when the pin passes through the lower end of the slot 15, when the cover may be lowered. the pin passing through the pin 15,engaging the pawl. 16 and shifting that out of the way and, finally entering the slot 11, passing to the upper end of the latter as the cover is lowered. 50 soon as the stud has passed the pawl 16 it drops against its normal position of the stop 17 by gravity.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear enough understanding of the invention is to be had to render further description unnecessary.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In a device of the kind described, a support formed with a shank having means for pivotal attachment to a moving member, the support being further formed with a body portion having the shape of an arrow head and connecting with the shank at the nose of the arrow, the shank being formed with a longitudinal slot and the body portion being formed with a slot following the periphery of the body portion but inset from the marginal edge thereof. that end of the body portion remote from the shank having the slot formed in the shape of a V to provide a crotch, and a stud having means for attachment to a stationary member, the stud traveling in the slot in the shank and the slot in the body portion and being engageable in the crotch of the slot having the shape of a V for the purpose specified.

2. In a device of the kind described, a support having a shank formed with means for pivotal engagement to a moving member, the support being formed with a body portion of relatively great width as compared with the width of the shank, the said body portion having the shape of an arrow head and connecting with the shank at the nose of the arrow. that end of the body portion remote from the shank being V-shaped, the body portion having a slot formed there n and conforming to the outline of the body portion but being inset from the marginal edge thereof, the shank having a long tudinal slot communicating with the slot in the body portion, a stud having means for attachment to a stationar'y member and playing in the slot in the shank and in the body portion and being engageable in the crotch of the slot at the ll-shaped end of the body portion, and a pawl pivotally mounted on the body portion and closing one end of the slot therein where the two ends of the slot in the body portioncommunicate with the slot in the shank, the pawl precluding the passage of the stud in one direction through that portion of the slot which it closes but permitting its passage through the said portion or the slot in-the other direction. J

In testimony whereof I aiiixmy signature.

EDWARD 'r. DUNN. 

